Chained
by Insanity-5pak
Summary: Yumi and Aelita fall into the hands of kidnappers who use them to make money. But sex isn't the driving force behind this business. It's pain and torture. Finished, R & R please.
1. Don't Talk to Strangers

Disclaimer: I do not own Code Lyoko

Note: This is inspired greatly by the movie "Hostel", the fanfic "Human Trafficking", and similar works. There are no connections to these works, nor do I own them either. Just an advance warning, things will get graphic. Very graphic. I'll post warnings on chapters as they are needed.

**Chained**

**Chapter One**

**Don't Talk to Strangers**

Yumi drummed her fingers on her desk, ready for the lesson to end. She already knew about how slavery was a major cause of the American Civil War and all that; she was just ready for class to end. And yet the teacher continued droning on about details that all the class already knew. Finally, the bell rang, and the teacher said, "Now I expect a report on slavery tomorrow, understood?"

No one seemed to really listen as the class filed out and set about their afternoon agendas. Yumi left to meet up with her friends, the assignment the last thing on her mind. She came to the group's usual meeting place, a bench in the school yard, and found everyone there, waiting for her.

"Hey guys," Yumi casually said to them.

Aelita responded with her enthusiastic, "Hi Yumi," smiling brightly. Jeremy gave his usually, "Hello." And Odd and Ulrich said, "Hey," nearly at the same time.

"So, does it look like we'll have a free week-end, Jeremy?" Odd asked the blonde boy.

Jeremy nodded and said, "Xana's been quiet as a mouse recently. No towers or anything. I think we'll have a break for once."

"Well good. It's about time he gave us a day off," Ulrich added.

Odd teased Ulrich by asking, "So what are your big plans, Romeo? Got anything special planned out for a certain someone on your free time?" Odd began to laugh his usual, care-free, joking laugh that told you he didn't mean anything by what he said. Ulrich just glared at him for a moment and said, "Maybe I do, but it's none of your busy Odd."

"Aw come on, you can tell me!"

"Drop it, Odd!"

Aelita and Yumi laughed as Odd continued to pester Ulrich for information. Finally Aelita asked Yumi, "Say Yumi, what do you think of me coming over to your house for the night? It's been a while since I was over, and I think it would be fun."

Yumi thought over this for a moment and said, "Yeah, it has been a while, and I'm sure it wouldn't be a problem having you over Aelita. I'll just call my parents and tell them to expect company. They won't mind, I'm sure."

Odd finally gave up on try to get Ulrich to tell him his weekend plans, a topic which Yumi was also slightly curious about. Yumi went off to the side to call her parents and confirm Aelita's visit for that night. When she received the green light, she told Aelita and said, "We better go ahead and leave. Want me to help you get your things?"

Aelita nodded, "Yeah, thanks." She then turned to the rest of the group and said, "Bye guys."

After a brief exchange of good-byes, Aelita and Yumi went up to the dorms, and got a few clothes and belongings for Aelita. They then started their walk to Yumi's house. As they walked they talked over little things, nothing big. Then, they came to a street where a single car was parked. There were no people around, except for the ones in the car. As the girls past the car, the passengers said to them, "Excuse me, miss?"

The two turned to see a man sitting in the passenger's seat of a small green car, holding what looked like a map. He asked, "We're a bit lost, and could one of you kindly come here and show us where we are?" Two other men could be seen in the car. One driving, and one in the back. Yumi nodded and went over to the car. The man opened the door and seemed to bring the map out into the sunlight. Another door opened in the back, but Yumi noticed something odd about the map the man had. It wasn't for this country. Before she could react, the man pulled out a wet rag he had hidden in the map, and shoved it against Yumi's mouth and nose! She tried to beat him back, but it didn't work. She heard Aelita make a muffled scream as the same thing happened to her. Yumi tried to fight against the man, but her strength was leaving her quickly. Her vision grew hazy, and finally, she passed out completely. And it had all started out as just a normal day.


	2. A Warm Welcome

Note: A pat on the back to the person that can spot the error in continuity in the last chapter.

**Chapter Two**

**A Warm Welcome**

Yumi opened her eyes, and sat up. Her head was hurting, and she felt groggy. She looked around as her vision slowly cleared and saw that she was in a completely empty room. The room had no furniture or anything like that in it, and the walls were completely bare. There was only one light hanging from the ceiling in the center of the room. She looked next to her and found Aelita, lying on the floor. She went over and shook her friend, asking, "Aelita, are you ok?"

Aelita groaned a little as she woke up and sat up rubbing her eyes. She looked around and asked, "Where are we?"

"I don't know."

Yumi then heard voices coming closer and closer from outside the door in the room.

"… I don't care if he nearly choked to death, I told him that might happen."

The door began to open and the speaker continued talking as he entered the room. "No I will not give him a refund. Ah good, our two new arrivals are awake."

Three men entered the room. Two were rather large, and seemed to fit the profile of bodyguards. The man that was speaking was a man in his late twenties, or early thirties. He had medium length brown hair, and wore nice, but not fancy, clothes. He smiled at the two girls and said, "I'm glad to see that you are awake. Let me welcome you here."

Yumi stood up and demanded, "Where are we? Why did you kidnap us?" She would have attacked the man immediately, but she figured the two "bodyguards" would stop her before she could do anything.

The man smiled at her and said, "You are in my art gallery, of sorts. I personally did not kidnap you, but bought you from the ones that did. Those three often sell me young women such as yourself, and at very good prices too. The reason you are here is to cause my paying customers as much pleasure and entertainment as your beautiful bodies can handle."

Yumi glared at the man, moving closer to Aelita out of habit, and said, "So you're just going to let anyone who pays enough rape us, is that it?"

The man laughed a little at this and said, "Rape. Such an old past time. Ah, no my dear, sex is not what most of my clients want. Now don't get me wrong, if anyone wants to "lay" one of you, as long as he pays I'm fine with it. After all, you are quite beautiful young women. But most of my customers are here for art."

"You see, the human body is as much a canvas as any paper or wall in the world. Make-up, body paint, clothing can all transform someone into a beautiful work of art. But here, I demonstrate a different style of art. Pain and torture, instead of paint and clothing. You would be amazed at the beautiful effects burning skin and bleeding flesh can make. Simply breath-taking."

Yumi stared at the man as if he had just mutated into a monster. She said, "You're sick."

He simply smiled at this and replied, "Of course I'm sick. What else would I be? But the truth is, I just don't care. As long as can make money and art, I really don't care what you think. So, once more welcome to my place of art, and I hope you enjoy your stay. And don't worry, we try to keep our girls alive for as long as possible." He turned towards the door and began to leave, saying to the two men left, "Guys take them to Jeffery, have him analyze them. I want a full report, ok?"

The two men nodded and moved towards Yumi and Aelita. Yumi decided to start actually fighting back, and as one of the men approached her, she delivered a shift kick right to his groin. However she was shocked to find that her foot had connected with something hard. The man smiled at her and said, "Always be prepared, right?"

He picked Yumi up and tossed her over his shoulder like a sack of flour. She continued struggling against the man, but he seemed to be made of rock and nothing she did had any affect on him. She heard Aelita struggling against the other man as the two were carried out of the room.


	3. Exams

Note: Just so you know, the error in continuity from the first chapter was when the teacher said he expected the homework assignment "tomorrow". It was the week-end. There was no school "tomorrow".

**Chapter Three**

**Exams**

Yumi and Aelita were carried down a hall, down a flight of stairs, and into a room. All during their "walk" they could hear crying and screaming from behind most of the doors that lined the hall. When they entered the room, they heard someone say, "Ah good, two new ones. Sit one on the table, and put one in the box, alright guys?"

Yumi was flipped onto a table, lying on her back. Her hands and neck were strapped down. Aelita was carried to a bench near-by and was set down and had her legs locked to the ground. She could now see the room and all its occupants. In the middle of the room was the large table Yumi was strapped on. Against the wall opposite of where she was sitting, Aelita could also see a large table covered with many different tools, papers, and boxes. There was a man standing next to the tables. He looked to be about middle-age, had short, messy black hair, and wore thick glasses. He bent over the table and looked down on Yumi. Scratching his chin, he said, "Asian, Japanese actually… I'd say mid-to-late teens. Very nice. We don't have any Asians ones. Not after that incident with the gasoline."

He ran his hand over Yumi's arm, causing her to try and struggle out of her restraints. He ran his hand along the side of her face, and through her hair. He then picked up a near-by note pad and started writing on it, saying, "Very nice, very nice. Hair is natural color. No make up. Body looks good so far. Chad, take off her clothes."

One of the men, Chad, started towards the table, causing Yumi to try and kick at him with her unbound feet. The other man simply grabbed her legs and held them down. Chad picked up a large, hooked knife from off the tool table, and said to Yumi, "You might want to lie still."

Yumi glared at the man, but stopped moving as the knife was placed against her skin. He used the hook to make a clean slice through her shirt and pants. He then took the damaged clothes and threw them on the floor. Jeffery looked over Yumi, wrote some more notes and said, "Back."

The man holding Yumi's feet, lifted her legs and back up into the air, so that Jeffery could examine her back. Several notes later he said, "Good."

Yumi was lowered back down again. Jeffery finished his notes and said, "Alright, excellent. One of the best I've seen for quite some time. Next one Chad."

Chad undid Yumi's restraints, and carried her to the bench that Aelita was on. He chained Yumi to the floor, then undid Aelita and placed her on the table. Jeffery began feeling Aelita's arm and face, saying, "My, what lovely skin you have. Like a new born child, I'd say." He ran a hand through her hair. "And what a magnificent head of hair. Such color, so smooth, and its natural even! An incredible specimen. Clothes!"

Chad once more produced the same hooked knife and sliced off Aelita's shirt and pants. Jeffery noted her front and back, adding compliments like, "So flawless," and "My word, how ever do you do it girl?"

Finally Jeffery said, "They're done. And I must say, the pink one should be marked at a special price. You may take them."

Chad and the other man once more unchained the two girls and carried them back up to their room. They set them down and left, shutting the door and locking it before Yumi could get a hold on it. Yumi sighed and said to Aelita, "You ok?"

Aelita, who was sitting against the wall simply shook her head and said, "Why are they doing this to us?"

"I wish I knew."

Yumi went over and sat next to her friend, putting an arm around her shoulder to try and comfort her. She said, "But we can't give up hope, ok? Once everyone realizes we're missing, they're sure to come looking for us. And with Jeremy's brain and the super computer, they'll find us in no time. We just have to be patient and try to stay alive until then. So try not to worry, ok Aelita?"

Aelita smiled at Yumi and said, "Right."

There came a scream from outside the door. It sounded like the screamer was being dragged down the hall, and soon the sound faded away. Aelita stared at the door for a minute or so, as if expecting it to fling open, then said, "I'll try."


	4. MIA

**Chapter Four**

**M.I.A**

Ulrich lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. He was thinking over what he would do this week-end. He had planned on asking Yumi to do something with him, but what? And if he did ask her to do anything with him, Odd would never stop talking about it. Just then, Ulrich's cell phone rang. It was Yumi's house. He answered, "Hello, Yumi?"

It was Yumi's mother instead. She sounded a little worried as she asked, "Ulrich, do you know where Yumi is?"

"Uh, no. She didn't come home?"

"No. She hasn't been home all day. I'm getting very worried."

"You have tried her cell phone, right?"

"Yes, and there's no answer."

"Well, she was with Aelita last time I saw them, so I'll call Aelita. Hold on."

Ulrich hung up on Mrs. Ishiyama and dialed in Aelita's number. The phone rang and rang, and still no answer. Finally her voicemail picked up, and Ulrich began to worry too. Aelita and Yumi always had there cell phones on. He called back Mrs. Ishiyama and said, "I'm sorry. I couldn't get up with her."

"This is bad. Something's wrong. If you see her Ulrich, you tell her to call me, ok?"

"Yes ma'am." Ulrich hung up the phone and sat in bed for a second. Something WAS wrong. He could feel it. He had to talk to Jeremy. However just as he tried to slip out of the dorm, he heard a door open down the hall. He tried to rush back in, but it was too late. He heard Jim call, "Hey, stop right there!"

Ulrich waited for Jim to come closer and ask, "Ulrich? What are you doing trying to sneak out at night?"

"Uh... going to the bathroom?"

"Riiight. Well I think you can hold. Back inside."

Ulrich turned and went back into his room, and shut the door. He knew Jim would pretty much stay in this hall now that he had caught him. Ulrich would have to talk to Jeremy tomorrow.


	5. It's Just a Game

Note: For those who have been looking forward to this, or for those who have weak stomachs, the "art" starts now. Expect it to grow more and more… intense, as the story continues.

**Chapter Five**

**It's Just a Game**

Aelita opened her eyes and looked around. To her despair she was in the same bare room, wearing the same horrible clothes she had been given the night before. She wanted so desperately to just close her eyes and wake up in her room at school. But of course this didn't happen. Yumi soon woke up too, and seemed to be wishing the same thing as she said, "I was seriously hoping this was a dream."

Aelita smiled weakly and agreed. Yumi turned to Aelita and said, "Listen Aelita, we may be here for a while, so we're going to have to try and survive as long as possible. Try not to tick anyone off, and just do what they tell you, ok? If we just wait, Jeremy is sure to find us and send some sort of rescue, ok?"

Aelita nodded, and then the door opened. A man stuck his head in and said, "You, the pretty one, come with me." Another man walked into the room, and the speaker continued, "And the Asian one, follow him."

Without another word, the two girls did as they were told. They went in separate directions as they left the room. Aelita went down the hall and up several flights of stairs, passing a variety of rooms. Some had their doors open, revealing the horrors inside. She caught glimpses of a room full of power tools, one filled with steam, and one with several different pools of water. Finally she was led into a small room that contained many tables and chairs. She had her hands and feet locked, and was told to stay seated and wait. She looked around the room as she waited, and saw more people, mostly in couples of a man and woman, sitting in the room too. One man was sitting in front of a girl who had her hands spread out on the table. He was stabbing a knife into the cracks between her fingers at a rapid speed. As Aelita watched, he moved the knife back and forth faster and faster. The girl sat as still as she could, crying. Finally he stopped, and said something Aelita couldn't hear. Just then, Aelita felt a hand run over her leg. She gasped, and pulled away from the person, turning to see who it was. A young man stood there, smiling, and said, "My you do have lovely skin. And it is VERY soft. I'll tell Max he was right about the price. Well then, let's get started."

The man pulled up a chair next to Aelita's so that he was sitting in front and just to the right of her. He said, "I want to play a game with you. That's all.It's very simple. All you have to do is guess the name of the country I'm thinking of, that's all. You do that, and you win. You get to go back to your room, Max gets my money, I go and get drunk to forget I ever came here. You get four guesses. If you get all four wrong, you lose, ok?"

Aelita knew there had to be more to it than that. She asked, "What happens if I lose?"

He smiled at her and said, "That's the surprise, isn't it? Alright, I'll give you a hint, then we start. Your hint is, WW. Alright, guess."

Aelita thought over the meanings of WW. She decided that he meant World War 1 and said, "Uh, Germany."

The man smiled wider and said, "Wrong." He then pulled out a small object from his pocket and before Aelita could see what it was, he jabbed it into her leg, just above the knee. Aelita yelped as she felt metal cut through her skin and into her body. The man simply hissed, "Guess again."

Aelita began to panic now, but she tried to keep her head. She thought for a moment and said, "Uh… Britain?"

"Wrong."

The man pulled the knife out of her leg, and then jammed it back into her, but higher and closer to the hip this time. Aelita gasped again as she was stabbed. Two guesses down, and she didn't want to know what would happen after four. She thought for a moment, then said, "Uh… Turkey?"

Once more the knife was pulled out of her leg and driven back in, but higher than last time. Suddenly, Aelita knew what would happen if she lost. The way the knife continued climbing up her leg. If she guessed wrong now, there would only be one place left for it to go. The most delicate part of her body would be torn to pieces. She looked at the man in shock and fear as she realized what losing would do to her. The man smiled all the wider at seeing that look of fear and said, "That's it. That's what I paid to see. Now then, guess."

Aelita tried to think, but she couldn't. Tears were blurring her vision as she tried to calm herself. But with the thought of having the most delicate part of herself mutilated hanging over her head, she was having a hard time concentrating. For a moment, she simply sat there in silence, unable to speak or think clearly. Just as she was about to guess her last time, the man leaned forward and said, "Twin Towers."

Aelita looked at him confused for a moment, but he simply stared at her, waiting for her last guess. She said, "America?"

The man pulled the knife out of her leg, wipe it off with a small rag, and pocketed it. He said simply, "You win."

Aelita breathed a sigh of relief and let her body relax. The wounds in her leg still stung, but at least that was all. The man said, "You were something special, that's for sure. I've never given a second hint before. That's all I come here for, that beautiful look ona young girl's face as she realizes I'm about to destroy her delicate little body. Wonderful. I definitely got my money's worth this time. Good game girl. Hope to see you again soon."

The man left and soon Chad from the exams came and wrapped up Aelita's wounds and led her back to her room. Aelita was pushed back inside her and Yumi's bare room, and the door once again shut and locked behind her. She was alone. She walked to the far side of the room, sat down against the wall, and sighed again. Part of her wondered about the "artistic" qualities of what just happened, but the other part was too freaked out to care. She wondered how much of her would be left, should she ever escape this place.


	6. Whipped

**Chapter Six**

**Whipped**

Yumi followed the man down the hall and down two flights of stairs. She looked into several of the rooms open in the hallways. One had a girl tied to a bed, another two men hanging upside-down from the ceiling. Yumi was lead into a room where only two other people were. She had her hands locked to the wall and the man told her, "We will begin shortly."

At hearing this, the other man in the room looked up and said, "Well if it isn't Fred!"

Yumi looked back at the man and saw that he was standing over a girl who was lying on a table, crying with a gag in her mouth. Yumi also noticed the massive amount of blood running down her back, and the intricate pattern of cuts and slashes on the girl's back. Fred turned to the man and exclaimed, "Sam! My good friend, how are you? I see you are making more art, yet again."

Sam laughed and walked over to pat his friend on the back, saying, "Yes yes, I'm fine. And I'm still making beautiful art. Come and look. See my work so far on this cute little canvas."

Fred examined the girl's back, scratching his chin and saying, "Very good. You've still got it my good friend. Excellent work here. Once you dry up the blood, it will truly be a masterpiece."

"Oh no, I've still a little work on it. A few more marks and it will be complete. Excuse me my friend, and I shall finish it."

Sam moved into his original position and held a razor sharp knife like a pencil and began to cut into the girl's back. The girl moaned and groaned as he cut her. She seemed completely drained of strength and could not even scream or move. Fred, meanwhile, went over to a table and began picking up different tools and instruments, trying to decide which to use. After a few moments Fred decided on a bull whip and began to snap it, testing it. Without looking up, Sam commented on Fred's choice.

"Still into the random whip I see. When will you see the true pleasure in the precision knife, my dear friend?"

Fred snapped the whip again and said, "Sam, nothing beats using a good whip to make strange and interesting art. With a whip, the outcome can even surprise the artist."

Fred moved behind Yumi and tied a gag around her mouth. Yumi braced herself as Fred moved back and took his position behind her. He snapped the whip forward and Yumi yelped as it cut through her back, leaving a large gash in its wake. Fred snapped it again, slashing up her back more. Yumi tightened her grip on her locks, and began to dig her teeth into the gag as the whip continued slashing open her back. This continued for several minutes, with Fred periodically stopping and examining his work so far. Yumi wasn't sure if she would be able to take this for much longer when suddenly there came a cry from Sam who said, "No! No, you can not do this!"

Fred stopped and looked back at his friend and asked, "What's wrong?"

Sam sat on a near-by chair and tossed his knife to the ground, saying, "She died. The ungrateful little whelp died on me."

Fred seemed taken aback slightly and said, "No. You did make the cuts shallow enough, right?"

"Of course I did. I only messed up like that once. But blast if she still didn't go and die, worthless wench. I put my heart and soul into making her into a beautiful work of art, and she dies! Is there no appreciation for the arts anymore!"

"There there my friend. It's ok. You shall create again. And it shall be better than before. Come, forget this worthless swine, and join me for a drink. I shall treat you to your favorite wine or beer, your choice! Come my friend, I'm done anyway."

Sam seemed to cheer up a little, and he smiled and said, "Ah, thank you my good friend. I think I shall accept your offer. What of your canvas?"

By this time, Yumi's blood was boiling over at the horrible way they were treating her and the dead girl. They were acting as though they weren't even people at all. Yumi had already bitten several holes in her gag, and was pulling so harshly on her locks that she was cutting off the blood flow in her hands. The two men didn't seem to notice her rage, and Fred simply said, "Ah, I will tell Mark to take her away. He will have to clean and wrap her wounds. I didn't pay enough to allow her to keep the art on her. Oh well, come let's depart."

At this the two men left and Yumi was alone. She rested her head on the cold wall and spit out the torn up pieces of her gag.She wanted to rip her locks off the wall, crash down the door, and rip out the two men's lungs with her bare hands. Anger and despair were raging inside of her, but she couldn't do anything about it. She could only lean against the wall, and sigh.

After a minute or so, a man came in. He began to clean up the dead girl and the tools used on her. As he cleaned, Yumi asked through the torn gag, "How do you do it?"

The man, who was rather young, looked up and asked, "What?"

"How do you do this? How can you let people be… tortured and killed like this? How do you live with yourself knowing you've done this?"

The man slowed a little in his clean up and after a slight hesitation said, "I need the money. If you were in the same position as me, you'd do the same thing."

"So is that your excuse? You need money. Well, I hope you enjoy your wonderful money. That poor girl will never need money again. Of course, she was worthless to begin with, wasn't she? I'm sure her life didn't matter at all until she came here, and became a "work of art".

The man simply stuck to cleaning up the mess. Finally he seemed satisfied and walked over to Yumi. He opened a first aid kit and began to apply an ointment to her back. Yumi asked him, "Why bother fixing me up? I'll just be hurt again later."

"We need you in the best possible shape for the next client. And would you rather get an infection than be healthy?"

"I'd rather die than spend anymore time making your money."

The man simply continued working. He then began to wrap up her wounds. Finally he said, "Alright, you're good to go."

He took off her useless gag and unlocked her hands. Once completely freed, Yumi slammed her fist into the man's face, knocking him to the floor. She stomped her foot hard on his stomach, and said, "You're just as sick and twisted as those other perverts. Just because you act like the janitor doesn't make you any better."

The door opened up and Phil came in and said, "Mark, I told you not to unlock her. You can't fight, and you can't defend yourself. Come on girl, let's go."

Yumi wanted to launch herself at the large man, but she knew she couldn't fight him. He was here to keep girls like her from fighting, and she was far too tired from the whippings to fight. She simply walked out of the room, and allowed Phil to lead her back to her room. As she came to the room, Aelita was being led out of it. Yumi was shoved in and left alone. She looked around her room, sat down, and sighed. She looked up and said, "Jeremy, you better hurry up. I've only had to go through one session, butit's alreadyhard to control myself."

* * *

Aelita looked back as she was lead out of the room once more, seeing Yumi enter it. She sighed from the loneliness and hopelessness she was feeling. They hadn't even been there for a day, and already she was losing hope. She silently prayed that someone, anyone, even Xana, would come and help them. This place was an evil even Xana couldn't understand. 


	7. Torture

Note: I pump up the intensity here, so for those of you who are unsure of their stomach's strength, you have been warned.

**Chapter Seven**

**Torture**

Aelita's head was pulled up out of the water by her hair. She gasped as she emerged, taking in the precious air once again. She coughed up the water that had tried to invade her lungs, and began to breathe again. The man bent down and not truly kissed, but more sucked the water off the side of her face. He laughed and said, "Ah, I love flavored water. Well, it's been fun girl. I'll see you later."

The man released her hair, and Aelita simply slumped in her chair, tired and frightened. She had been so sure she would drown; her lungs had felt like they were on fire. She wondered, just for a minute, if it would have been better to drown. To die and leave this place. The door opened again and a man came in, dried Aelita off, untied her, and led her back to her room. She was escorted in to find Yumi lying on the floor, on her stomach. She went over and sat next to her friend, noticing the bandages on her back. She asked, "Yumi, what happened?"

Yumi just shrugged her shoulders and said, "Nothing, don't worry about it."

Before Aelita could reply the door opened again, and the man who had spoken to them when they first arrived, Max, walked in. He greeted them with a smile and said, "I knew I made the right choice with you."

He walked over to Aelita, bent down, and hugged her, picking her up and spinning her around. This, of course, caused Aelita to try and squirm away from him. Despite this he simply continued, "Do you know how many men there are just looking to use a girl as cute and delicate as you? It's girls like you that started this business! Oh, you are truly a fine piece of work!"

Max released Aelita, who immediately backed away from the insane man. He then turned to Yumi. His smile, while still there, seemed to change from happy to menacing. He said, "Now you on the other hand, are a problem. Attacking one of my employees; naught naughty. Now, while I normally look past the first offense, you are different. You are my only Asian girl, and that makes you special. I can't have you attacking anyone, employee or customer. So I've decided that I'll give you a little disciplinary demonstration, of sorts. Come, bring them."

Chad and Phil, who were always with Max when he met with the girls, cuffed Aelita and Yumi and led them behind Max. Max, with a slight spring in his step, led the girls down many flights of stairs, and finally came to a door. They went in, and the room immediately reminded the two girls of the examination room. There was a large table in the middle of the room, a bench to seat girls, which Aelita and Yumi were set upon and locked to, and a large table covered with tools. Max examined a notepad for a moment then said to Chad, "Go get Megan. I've warned her enough about biting already."

Chad exited the room and Max began to examine various tools, saying things like, "No that won't do," or "Too much, too much."

After several minutes Chad reentered the room with a girl, Megan. When Megan looked into the room and saw what it contained she began to kick and struggle furiously, shouting, "NO! No, please! Please don't!"

Chad simply dragged her to the table and locked her in place. Max threw down the hammer he was holding and walked over to the table. He leaned down until his face was just inches away from Megan's and whispered, "Shhh, don't worry my dear. Very soon, you'll become more beautiful than you could possibly imagine. I'm going to turn you into true art."

Megan continued whimpering as Max kissed her on the cheek. He then looked over the girl, thinking to himself. Finally he said, "Brilliant! Chad, put the table in the upright position. Phil, unlock her neck brace and her arms and hold the right one out straight."

The two men set about doing their work. Chad used a near by control panel to raise the table so that it was more or less standing straight in the air. Megan's neck and arms were unlocked, and she fell forward because of gravity. Phil held her upper body out straight, and Max came and took her right arm and held it out. He then picked up a mallet from the tool table. Megan looked at him and screamed, "For the love of God, please don't!"

He smiled at her and said, "God can't help you here."

He raised the hammer and brought it down heavily on Megan's arm, right on the elbow. There was a sickening "Crack!" and Megan howled in pain as her arm snapped. Yumi shot up out of her seat, fighting against the chains holding her to the floor. Aelita sat, with her hands over her mouth, too shocked and disgusted to move. Max said to Chad, "Gag her will you?"

Chad tied a sturdy piece of cloth in her mouth, but it didn't do much to stop the noise of Megan's crying. Max tossed the hammer on the table and picked up what looked like a nail-gun. He folded Megan's arm back until her hand was touching her shoulder blade, which caused Megan to cry out in pain even more. Max then placed the gun on the palm of her hand and fired it. It drove a nail through her hand and into her shoulder blade, locking her twisted arm in place. Max then went to her left arm with his hammer and gun and had Chad straighten it out for him. Max snapped her left arm as well and then nailed it to her back. He then put his tools back on the table and said, "What beautiful wings you have. Now then, the legs. Lock her, lay the table flat."

Megan was forced back flat against the table and her neck was locked in place again. Her arms could no longer be locked, though there was hardly a need to. Chad once again shifted the table's position from vertical to horizontal so that Max could bend over it. Max, meanwhile, was searching through the various tools until he finally picked up a large needle and thick string. He then walked over to Megan's legs and smiled at her again. He threaded the needle and ran his hands over her twitching legs. Then he took the tip of the needle and pushed it through the edge of her feet, sewing them together. Megan began to cry out loudly again, as Max began to run the thread through her feet and legs, sewing them together into one piece. As Max sewed and Megan cried, Yumi had to turn away from the scene in utter horror and disgust. Aelita had already pressed her hands over her ears to try and drive out the sound of Megan screaming. She kept yelling, "Stop it! Stop it! Stop it!"

This seemed to go on for hours until finally Max cut the string and said, "Ah, good."

At this pint, Megan was too exhausted to do or say anything else. She simply laid there, breathing heavily and crying. Max went to the table again and picked up a large knife. He then bent down next to Megan's face and said, "Now for the finishing touch."

He gently lifted her head up and drove the large knife through the back of her skull. It cut through the gag and stuck out of her mouth. Max let her head fall back and said, "The perfect beak. Excellent. Guys, prepare her and move her into my study."

Max walked over to Aelita and Yumi. Aelita still had her hands over her ears and was rocking back and forth slightly on the bench. Yumi sat on the bench, with her head between her knees and her hands on her head. Max gently moved her hands and lifted her chin up so that their faces were just inches apart. He whispered into her ear, "Now I know I said you're special before, but just remember that I can make you even more so if I want to. If I think you can use an "improvement", you will get one. Remember that."

He kissed her roughly on the cheek and walked off laughing softly to himself. Yumi simply sat there, staring vacantly into space with Aelita crying next to her. After a moment she said to no one in general, "We… we have to get out of here…"


	8. Lost and Found

**Chapter Eight**

**Lost and Found**

Jeremy listened as Ulrich finished telling him about his conversation with Mrs. Ishiyama. He nodded his head and said, "Hmm, I agree, it does sound fishy. I'll check and see if Xana has woken up."

As Jeremy began to open up his scanner program on the computer, Odd asked, "And what if he isn't behind it? You guys do watch the news right? There's been that long series of kidnappings recently, all girls. But I thought it was farther away from here."

"Let's just hope that isn't what's happening," Ulrich said.

The scan completed and it came up green. Jeremy looked at the monitor, rather shocked, and said, "It's not him? It's not Xana."

Ulrich snapped to attention. "What!"

"It's not him! He isn't awake, and he hasn't been awake. He's clean."

"So are you saying this is something else after all?" Odd asked.

"Yeah, yeah I am. We have to find where they are. They may be in trouble," Jeremy said as he shut off the computer and got up out of the chair.

The three friends hurried out of the room, heading for the factory. As they walked Odd asked, "So what's your plan Jeremy?"

"I'll use the super computer to track Aelita and Yumi's cell phones. I'll then guide you two to them over our phones, and you see what you can find."

"Great. It'll be like a treasure hunt," Odd said sarcastically.

* * *

The three arrived at the factory and entered the computer room. Jeremy took his seat at the keyboard and began activating various programs. After a few minutes, he found what he was looking for and said, "Here." He pointed to two blips on a large, complex map.

"That's where they're at."

Odd looked over the map and said, "But is that where the girls are?"

Jeremy shook his head and answered, "I don't know. Turn on your phones, and I'll lead you there from here. Tell me what you find."

* * *

The two boys left the normal, residential area of the city and soon entered a more run-down, dirty part of town. They went deeper and deeper into the underbelly of the city, guided by Jeremy. Finally they heard him say, "You're right on top of them!"

Odd and Ulrich looked around. The only thing they saw was a drunk man lying against the side of the building. However, Ulrich noticed that sticking out of the man's pocket was Aelita's pink cell phone. He pointed the man out to Odd and they went over, surrounding the man. At first the drunkard took no notice of the two boys, but after several moments he said, "Whos ar?"

Ulrich bent down and asked, "Where did you get that cell phone?"

It took the man a moment to register what Ulrich had said, and he finally answered, "I… bought it… from Max…. He'll treat ya right…."

Ulrich asked, "Where's Max?"

The man laughed at this and said, "You, you, you's just a kid. You woodn't wanna see him. Not old nuff yet. But… but when you get the, the need for nice things, Max'll yelp ya out…"

Odd said, "This isn't going to work Ulrich. He's lost it."

Ulrich just held up his hand and asked again, "Tell me, where can I find Max?"

The man gazed up at Ulrich and said, "Now ya see… if I tell ya where Max is… I might get in trouble cause… Max don't like people tellin just anybody… ya got to have a password or something to learn bout Max…. So just… just…. What ya need gain…?"

Ulrich stood up and sighed. He looked around and said into his phone, "Jeremy, what should I do? This guy isn't responding."

"Just learn what you can about this Max guy. We'll go from there."

Ulrich bent down next to the man again and asked, "What does Max do?"

The man giggled some more at this, spilling a small bit of the alcohol in the bottle he held at his side. He said, "Everone knows Max, round here…. He, he, he sells… best girls round…. I just went las week, found a nice, German girl…. Max gave me… good price too…"

"So he sells woman?"

"Ha, yeah… Gets em cheap an sells em high…. Course not too high…. If you wanna see Max, all ya had ta do was ask…. I tell ya, right where ta go an he'll help ya out…."

Ulrich said, "Jeremy, copy all this down or something ok?"

Jeremy replied, "I'm already on it. Ask him how to get there."

Ulrich smiled at the drunk man and said, "Now then, sir, please tell me how to find Max."


	9. Prayer

**Chapter Nine**

**Prayer**

Aelita was still curled up, shaking and crying, as she sat in her room. Yumi sat with her arm around her friend, trying to comfort her, but she was in too much shock to really help.

"How… how can they do that? What are they?" Aelita sobbed.

"They're monsters. Nothing more than that."

"Yumi, will…will Jeremy… find us in time?"

"Sure he will, Aelita. You'll see. He and Ulrich and Odd will find us in no time."

The door opened and the two girls looked up, startled. Chad entered and said, "You, the Asian one, Max wants to see you."

At the mentioning of Max's name, Yumi stood up and backed away from the man, saying, "No, no!"

Chad shook his head and said, "Not for that. He says he wants to test you for something. Don't worry, he isn't going to torture you, so come on."

Yumi looked over at Aelita, who simply sat on the floor, shaking. Finally Yumi walked over and followed Chad out of the room. The door shut and locked, leaving Aelita utterly alone. She shut her eyes tightly, and cried into her hands, saying, "Please God, please help me. Please Jeremy, help me."

"What's wrong?"

Aelita looked up, startled by the voice. She looked around and saw another girl in the room. The girl was about her age, and wore white clothing. But she hadn't been in there before, and no one had entered the room with Chad.

"Where did you come from?"

"Oh, I've been here, watching you. I've been following you around for a while now."

Aelita shook her head and said, "But I've never seen you before."

The girl stood up and smiled, saying, "Well, maybe you weren't looking hard enough. Or maybe, you just didn't need to see me until now."

Aelita simply stared at the girl, confused. The girl continued, "Anyway, I figured you could use a little pick me up. You'll need it pretty soon, I'm sorry to say."

The girl came over and sat next to Aelita, taking Yumi's place. Aelita stared at her in a questioning way, and asked, "Who are you?"

"Someone you can talk to. Come on, I'm sure you have a lot on your shoulders right now. Tell me what's on your mind."

Aelita began to feel strangely better, as if simply talking to this girl was helping ease her stress. Aelita said, "I'm starting to wonder if we'll ever get out of here. I have faith in my friends that they'll find us, but… I just don't know. It seems like we've been here an eternity already."

The girl smiled and said, "Yeah, I'm sure it does. But try to remember all that you and your friends have gone through. All the battles you fought together. They never gave up on you, and you never gave up on them. I'm sure that everything will be fine in the end. You've just got to believe that they'll find you, and everything will be alright."

"How do you know about my friends? I've only just met you."

"Can't you accept some things on faith? Just have a little faith, it isn't that hard. Trust that I'm here, because this is the place that God wanted me. Or that this is where he wanted you."

"So it's God's fault that I'm here, being tortured and maybe even killed?"

"I never said that. You're just putting words in my mouth."

Aelita turned away from the girl and said, "So what, it's not like there is a God anyway."

The girl laughed quietly at this, and stood up, walking around.

"Hmm, how clichéd. Every time the going gets rough, people either begin to doubt God's existence, or blame him for the problems. 'Oh, I got a paper cut. Why did God let this happen?' 'My dog ran away. There is no God.' The same old story every time. People always like to ask, 'If God's real, then why is there suffering in the world?'"

Aelita, still looking away from the girl, said, "Well, why? If God's so great, why can't he just take away all evil and make the world right?"

"Why is always a good question isn't it? But do you ever stop to think that maybe, all this twisted and messed up stuff happens for a reason? Do you think God enjoys watching humans suffer, and cause suffering?Do you ever think that,maybe, you're being hurt so that something great and wonderful can happen? Sure, when you have someone cutting into your leg, it only seems like senseless violence and unnecessary pain. But when all is said and done, and when you can see the whole picture, you realize that the outcome is worth the pain."

"How can I know that the outcome is worth all of this?"

"Faith. Hope. Belief that good will always win over evil."

"And if that's a lie?"

"If that's what you believe, then I pity you."

Aelita stood up and looked at the girl. She asked, "Why are you here?"

"To tell you these things. You have to be prepared."

"Prepared for what?"

"For a pain worth bearing. For a revelation of your life. Soon, you'll experience the worst fear, pain, and sorrow you've ever felt. But if you just remember, that God has a purpose for you, and that all of this will only bring about that purpose, then you will find the will to survive."

Aelita shook her head and asked, "I don't understand any of this."

"Trust God, trust you friends, and trust yourself Aelita. I promise you that everything will be ok. Don't worry. I'll be watching."

At this the door flew open. Aelita turned in surprise to see Chad dragging Yumi into the room. Aelita looked back and saw that the girl was gone. She had vanished. Aelita turned back to Yumi as Chad left, and realized that something was wrong. Yumi was lying on the floor, crying hysterically and mumbling strangely. Aelita went over and kneeled next to her friend, tuning her over on her back and asking, "Yumi, Yumi what's wrong?"

Yumi's arms were twitching horribly, and her crying was so uncontrollable, that it was hard to understand what she was saying. But Aelita could hear through the sobs rather broken speech.

"I… I didn't… I didn't want…. He made me…. I didn't… want to die…. He made me… Please I didn't mean…."

Aelita grew more and more worried about her friend by the second. She sat Yumi up against the wall and tried to calm her, saying, "Yumi. Listen you have to calm down. Yumi, tell me what's wrong."

Yumi shook her head, and said, "No… no I didn't…. I wouldn't…. He told me…. Made me…. I didn't want to but he made me…. He made me and… he made me do it….. I didn't want to do it….. I would never… never…."

Aelita held Yumi's head gently but firmly and made her look straight at her. Tears rolled down Yumi's cheeks, her eyes were red, and her lips were quivering. She said, "Yumi, listen to me. You have to tell me what he made you do, ok? Please, tell me what happened."

Yumi sputtered in a barely audible whisper, "He… he… he r... raped… me…."

Time seemed to stop as Aelita heard this. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. That couldn't be right.

"He… he made me… made me lay there… and he made me do it…. I didn't want to… please I didn't want to…."

Aelita felt tears well up in her own eyes. She shook her head, thinking, "_This can't be happening. Not to her. No_."

"Yumi… Yumi, I'm so sorry."

Aelita hugged Yumi tightly. Yumi continued crying into her friends shoulder. Aelita could only keep saying, "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry," while trying to calm Yumi down. She looked up towards the ceiling and said, "Someone, anyone, please help us."


	10. Pyro

**Chapter Ten**

**Pyro**

Aelita opened her eyes and gazed around the room. Once again she had to awaken to this horrible pit of a room. Then she remembered Yumi and what had happened earlier. She looked and saw that her friend was still sleeping, curled up on the floor. She went over and gently shook Yumi awake, saying, "Yumi, you ok?"

Without lifting her head, Yumi mumbles, "I had kind of hoped it was a dream. Guess that was a silly thing to do."

Aelita stared at the floor, sadness in her eyes.

"I'm sorry Yumi."

"I know you are. It's not your fault or anything, though. So don't worry about it."

"But you're my friend Yumi. I can't just not worry about it."

The two sat there in silence for a moment, unsure of what to say. Then Aelita remembered what had happened in the room while Yumi was gone. She said, "Oh, Yumi I forgot. Something weird happened after you left yesterday."

Yumi sat up and asked, "What?"

Aelita explained the dialogue she and the girl had exchanged while Yumi had been away. After Aelita finished, Yumi thought over it for a moment and said, "Well, that's interesting. You sure you weren't just hallucinating?"

Aelita shook her head and replied, "I don't think so."

The doors opened again. By this time the girls knew that it could only mean something bad. Chad entered the room and said, "Come on."

Aelita looked over at Yumi who simply looked down at the floor in sadness, got up, and walked over to the door. Aelita followed her friend, thinking that if they weren't out of this place soon, Yumi would lose her will to live.

* * *

The girls were taken to a room occupied by only two men. One man was pacing around nervously, wringing his hands, and looking very uncertain. The other was sitting in a chair playing with a lighter. As the girls came in the man with the lighter jumped up and said, "About time. Ah yes! That one is perfect! Come on my little Jap, have a seat!"

Yumi went over to the man and sat in the chair he had previously occupied. Aelita was directed to the man at the other end of the room. This man didn't seem anything like the excited man who had bought Yumi. He looked nervous, uncertain, and maybe even a little scared. As Aelita was strapped in, he looked around the room and over the tool table, as if unsure of how to start. Meanwhile, across the room, the lighter man was rummaging through the various tools, and suddenly shouted, "Sweet! Hey, old man, check this out."

Everyone turned and saw that the man was holding an aerosol can and the lighter. He lit the lighter and sprayed the can, producing a large plume of fire. He laughed as he did this and waved the flamethrower around, nearly hitting Yumi. He was obviously a pyromaniac.

The older man finally picked up a can of gasoline and began to pour it on Aelita. As the liquid was poured on her leg, she thanked God when she realized her bandages were water proof. Meanwhile, the pyro couldn't go two seconds without finding some new device he had to play with. It was as if he hadn't even noticed Yumi, who simply sat in her chair, looking rather nervous. The older man put down the can of gas, and began looking over the tool table for something. Aelita couldn't help but feel as if this man didn't really even want to be there. After a minute of searching, the man picked up a small blowtorch. He lit it and turned to Aelita, who could only watch the man with a look of horror. She knew that if the man so much as touched her with the torch, she would go up in flames. The man stood in front of her with the blowtorch in his hands taking deep breathes for a moment. He seemed to be preparing himself for what he was about to do. Then he slowly began to move the torch forward, towards Aelita. She tried to back away, but the chair kept her in place. The flame was inches away from her face, and she could feel the intense heat radiate off of it. She shouted, "Please stop!"

The man jerked the torch away from her and shut it off, fumbling with the tool. For a moment, Aelita thought he was about to come over and try to comfort her. The man threw the torch onto the table again and leaned over all the tools, breathing heavily. This was one of the oddest men Aelita had ever seen. Suddenly there came a shout from the pyro, who said, "Sweet! Dude they actually have unlit, freaking napalm!"

Aelita looked and saw that the man was holding a container filled with a thick, gelatinous substance, which she guessed was napalm. The man took the napalm and began to smear it with a tool on the wall at the back of the room. After writing out a name, most likely his name, the man took his lighter and the aerosol can and sprayed it over the letters. The liquid burst into flames and began to burn furiously. The man laughed and took the liquid again and threw large quantities of it on Yumi. He looked at the older man and said, "Man stop being such a baby and light that chick up. Don't waste good money for nothing."

The older man nodded, and picked up a stick with wrapping on the end. He lit the end, causing it to burn and turned once again to Aelita. He again took several deep breaths, preparing himself, and then he began to wave the torch in front of Aelita. Each wave brought it closer and closer to her, and out of reflexes, Aelita tried to pull away from the flame. The man continued to swipe, threatening to ignite the gas covering her, although never quite making any swipe touch, when Aelita shouted, "Why are you doing this?"

The man pulled away from her again and threw the torch on the floor. He sighed and said, "I can't do this! I shouldn't be here! I shouldn't…"

He then came forward and began to undo all of Aelita restraints, saying, "I'm so sorry. I was angry when I came here, but now…. Ah, I've made a mistake. I'm so sorry."

The pyro looked over at the man as if he were insane and said, "Wait, you're not really gonna waste good money and looks are you?"

The older man replied, "I shouldn't be here. This isn't like I wanted it. I should never have joined this. I'm sorry."

The man freed Aelita and was about to leave, when the pyro came over and put a hand on his shoulder saying, "Woah woah woah! Chill, ok old man. Just chill. Now I'm sure you're just having a little last minute change of heart that you'll regret very soon. But, if you want to pass up this opportunity, then I'll tell you what I'll do. I'll give you this money," The man pulled out a roll of bills and pushed it into the older man's hands and continued, "and you'll let me play with the girl alright."

The man tried to say something, but the pyro simply pushed him out of the way, patting his shoulder and turned to Aelita. He picked up the gas can, turned to Yumi and said, "Alright baby. Let's give you a fresh coat."

The man walked over and poured gas on Yumi. He then undid the restraints on her and bent down and picked up the torch. He smiled her and said, "Time for the fireworks!"

He swung the torch at Yumi, but she shouted and reflexively knocked it out of his hand. The man staggered backwards, and stepped on the aerosol can, which sent him rolling to the floor. The gas can began to pour out on the man and the ground. Yumi was backing away from him towards the door, when the old man said, "Oh no."

Everyone looked and saw that the spilled gas was moving quickly across the floor. Right into the lit torch. The pyro didn't even have time to stand up when suddenly the spilt gas burst into flames, engulfing him. Yumi backed away quickly and managed to dodge the burning liquid. The old man also moved out of the way in time. Aelita, however, was the unlucky one. She dodged the approaching liquid, but in the wrong direction. Soon the burning gas had backed her into a corner and continued advancing on her. Finally, with just a few inches of space between her and the flames, the gas stopped moving, but continued to burn. Aelita was surrounded by a sea of flames, with no way out and very little space. The heat licked her body and forced her breathe with short, quick breaths. She looked over at Yumi, who was all the way across the room. The door to the room was thrown open, and Phil came in. He told Yumi and the man to get out and then yelled for water and fire extinguishers. Yumi was pulled out of the room by the man and disappeared through the door. Aelita closed her eyes, and tried to remain as still as possible. Hours seemed to tick by and all Aelita could hear was screaming and running. She could feel the heat bringing her blood to a boil, threatening to ignite the gas on her and immolate her. Just as Aelita was ready to give up and let the fire take her, she felt water splash on her face and run down her body. The heat evaporated, and the fires were put out. She looked around and saw several people moving about with extinguishers, and one with a water hose. The man with the hose came over to her and asked, "Are you alright?"

Aelita sighed out of relief and passed out. The cool darkness was a welcome change from the harsh fire.


	11. Self Sacrifice

**Chapter Eleven**

**Self Sacrifice**

Aelita opened her eyes and found herself in hers and Yumi's room. Yumi noticed her friend wake up and smiled, saying, "Oh good, you're ok."

Yumi put an arm around Aelita and helped her sit up. Aelita could feel her body now. Her skin felt hot and raw, like a bad sunburn.

"What happened?"

"That pyro guy spilt some gasoline and nearly burnt us all up. You got trapped in the back of the room."

Aelita rememberedin flashes of images and soundthe raging fire fencing her in at the back of the torture room, the pyro guy squirming on the floor, immolated. She felt a shiver move down her spine at the memories. She knew she would have some mental problems after getting out of this place.

"You ok Aelita?"

Aelita nodded and said, "Yeah, fine. What about you?"

Yumi just shrugged and replied, "Well, with you to worry over, I guess I kinda just ignored my problem. Hoping it would go away, maybe."

Yumi sighed and stared at the ground. Aelita saw tears forming on the edges of her eyes and knew she was remembering now. Remembering that she was raped, that she was… defiled. Aelita wanted to try and cheer her up, but the door flew open again with a bang. Aelita had grown to hate that door. In walked none other than Max, their wonderful host. Upon seeing Max, Yumi's breath caught in her throat, her body started that strange twitching again, and her eyes remained focused on him. Like if she looked away, he would attack her, or worse.

Max didn't smile at them as he entered. He stood there in the room for a few moments, looking over the two of them before finally saying, "I'm very disappointed in you."

At first, the two didn't know who he was talking to. Then he walked over and pulled Yumi up on her feet by her hair. He pressed his face right against hers, causing her to twist and squirm, trying to get away from him. He hissed into her ear, "I told you, one more misstep, and you're gone. Well that little stunt you pulled with the pyro was a big misstep, and you're definitely going to pay for it."

"I didn't do anything! That guy was the one who started the fire. He was going to kill me!"

"He paid enough money to do it, so he was perfectly in the right."

"Oh screw you pal! You can't own me and you can't sell me to some pyro freak! You're just a screwed up perv who thinks he's a business man!"

Max hurled Yumi to the ground, next to the door. He looked down on her with a crazy, gleeful look in his eye. His mouth was contorted into a horrible grin.

"Oh I can own you girl. And I will. I will make you mine."

Yumi just glared back up at him and said, "You tried that yesterday and didn't work too well for you. All you managed to do was make a girl cry. You must feel pretty tough right now, huh?"

The man kicked her in the stomach. Yumi clutched her belly and curled up on the ground, moaning in pain. Aelita could only sit there, too scared to move. The man rolled Yumi over with his foot, and pressed it down on her chest, hard.

"You just can't shut your mouth can you? Well don't worry, I'll shut if for you. I'll sew your mouth shut, and I'll stick pins through your eye lids. I drive jagged pieces of metal through your ears, and I'll skin you alive. And then, I'll let you die. Slowly and painfully. But of course," Max laughed a little at this, "first we'll have to spend a little more "time" together, won't we? Let me get a feel for you all over again."

Yumi was now back to her scared, twitching self she had been last night. Her voice seemed locked inside of her throat, and her arms were twitching again. She was shaking her head slightly, but the only sound she could make was a small whimper. Max just laughed and said, "Take her away."

Chad and Phil, who had gone unnoticed until now, bent to pick Yumi up, who couldn't even scream or struggle against them. Aelita stared at her friend for a few moments, froze in fear. Then some soft voice inside of hersaid, "_Fight back!"_

Aelita stood up and ran up to Max. She raised her arms up as if to bar him in the room.

"Stop! I won't let you hurt her!"

Max chuckled a little at this and said, "Ok, and what if I do anyway?"

Aelita really hadn't thought this far ahead, but the words seemed to form and come out of her all by themselves.

"If you hurt her I'll kill myself."

This seem to get a little attention from Max, but his expression didn't change much.

"Hmm, and how is that suppose to affect me?"

"Well think about it. You said I was "special priced" and Yumi is your only Asian girl. If you kill her, you'll lose two invaluable "pieces of art" all at once." It took all of Aelita's strength to say, "pieces of art".

Max thought over this for a second and then said in a slightly mocking voice, "Well, I guess you have me against the ropes here, hmm? Got me trapped. But you forget that I personally don't care if you live or die, but I'll tell you want. Instead of your friend over there, I'll "improve" you. Just to show my respect of your spunky attitude and courage."

Aelita continued staring at the man, not let her eyes leave his. But inside her heart, fear was filling her up completely. She didn't want to go into that man's room. She knew what would happen to her. But something inside of her, beyond the fear and doubt, spoke up again and told her not to be afraid. And she believed it.

"Fine. So long as you don't hurt Yumi."

It was Yumi's turn to stare up, unmoving at her friend. But instead of fear, it was wonder and amazement that kept her frozen. Aelita was going to die, horribly and painfully die, to save her life. Why?

Max smiled and said, "Ah fine. I just can't say no to such a pretty face. Let's go."

Max walked out of the room. Aelita turned to Yumi and smiled a weak smile at her friend. Then with out a word, she walked out of the room. The door slammed shut, but still Yumi hadn't moved. Then slowly tears formed in her eyes, and she didn't hold them in. They fell freely down her cheeks. Yumi sobbed loudly, and covered her face with her hands. Her friend was going to die, and she hadn't tried to stop it. She was a monster.

Aelita walked solemnly down the hall, like a prisoner being led to the execution chamber. But there was no warden or priest next to her. Just a pervert and his two bodyguards. She kept looking upward, toward the ceiling. She didn't know why. Her body shivered in dread at every thought of what lie ahead of her. She was scared, terrified, but inside she felt something. A warm, soft spot deep in her chest that kept telling her that everything was ok. The voice spoke to her, the voice of the girl in white, and told her that she was watching. But in Aelita's head another voice seemed to say, "Yes. She'll watch you die."

Max opened the door to his room, and asked Aelita to lie on his table. She did so without any argument. Max went over to the tool table and picked up a large, sharp gutting knife. He placed the tip of the blade over Aelita's heart, and slowly apply pressure to it, agonizingly slowly. He smiled down on her and said, "Just going to let you know, this doesn't save your friend. I'll decide on her later."

Aelita ignoredhim and closed her eyes. But she knew it wouldn't help.


	12. Freedom

**Chapter Twelve**

**Freedom**

Yumi sat on the floor, crying. Tears dripped off her face and splashed on the floor. She felt as if she had been sitting there for an eternity. It was as if Aelita had disappeared years ago, lost behind the iron door. Yumi could hear nothing but her tears hitting the floor, and her undeserving heart beating. She had lost her friend, and now she was alone. And she knew that soon, she would die too.

Yumi began to feel something. It felt as if the ground was moving. Then, she began to feel herself being shaken. Slowly, she began to hear a distant voice, and it seemed to be coming closer. Someone was talking to her, and shaking her. Her eyes finally focused and she saw the palms of her hands. She heard a voice calling out her name. The voice sounded familiar. Yumi lowered her hands, and slowly lifted up her head. She was face to face with someone. Who? She knew him. From so long ago. He smiled at her and spoke again.

"Yumi. You're ok."

Yumi's mind seemed to shift gears, and for a moment, she simply stared into this warm, comforting face in front of her. Then she smiled back, and pulled him closer to her, hugging him as tight as she could.

"Ulrich! I can't believe it's…! I knew you'd… you'd come!"

She held him tightly, almost afraid to let go. He didn't seem to mind. Finally she released him and smiled at him again, and asked, "How did you find us?"

"A little advise from Jeremy, and a little help from a drunk and we were able to find you."

Ulrich helped Yumi stand up, and she looked and saw that someone was standing behind him in the doorway. It was a police officer. Ulrich had apparently not just found where she was. He had gotten the police involved too.

Suddenly, Yumi remembered Aelita, and the gears in her head shifted again.

"Ulrich! Listen, where's Aelita? She was taken before you arrived, and I don't know…"

Ulrich frowned and looked down at the floor. Yumi began to worry and hurriedly asked, "She isn't… dead, is she?"

He shook his head and said, "Come on. I'll show you."

Ulrich led Yumi out into the hall, the police officer following them. Yumi noticed that all the doors in the hall were open, and police were standing in all of them. It was amazing how quickly things had changed.

"How long have I been out?" she asked.

"Well, it took the police a while to go through the whole building and get the area secured. Then I started hunting you, and when I found you, you were freaked out, and it took a little while to calm you down. So, quite a while."

They went down a flight of stairs, and Yumi saw, lying at the bottom of the stairs, Chad. Phil was lying against the wall a few feet away. Chad was bleeding from the shoulder, and Phil from the head. They were both either unconscious or dead. Ulrich and Yumi walked past them and continued down the hall. Finally they came to a door Yumi recognized. Max's room. Just as they were entering, two men came out with a stretcher. Aelita was lying on it.

"Aelita!"

Ulrich pulled Yumi out of the way of the paramedics so they could get by. He said, "She's alive. She lost a lot of blood, but they said they might be able to help her if they get to the hospital in time. She was stabbed when we found her."

Yumi watched the two men and Aelita disappear down the hall. She turned to Ulrich and said, "So, that's it?"

Ulrich shook his head and said, "Some guy wants to talk to you. He's in here."

Ulrich led Yumi into Max's room, and there, slumped in a corner, was Max. He was bleeding from his shoulder and his mouth, and looked pretty banged up. He smiled when Yumi entered the room and said, "Ah, the Asian one (cough) just who I wanted to see."

Yumi looked at Ulrich, who could only shrug, and then she turned and walked over to Max. She could still feel fear rising in her heart as she approached him. She glared down at him and asked, "What do you want?"

He smiled and said, "I wouldn't leave until I talked to you. I wanted you to have something to remember our (cough) fun times together."

He held out a key in the palm of his hands. Yumi looked from him to the key and back again. His eyes shined with a strange glow and his weak smile seemed to contain a little secret.

Yumi asked, "What is it?"

"The key to my gallery. Through that door," he said, gesturing to a door at the back of the room that Yumi had not noticed until now. Yumi slowly tookthe key out of his hands, and said, "You're sick."

He nodded, smiling, and said, "I know."

He closed his eyes and his head nodded forward on his chest. Yumi just stood there staring at the key he had given her. Ulrich walked over and said, "Well, do you want to use it, or should I?"

Yumi still stared at the key and said, "You don't want to open that door Ulrich."

Ulrich put his hand over his and said, "We need to Yumi. To see what's back there."

Yumi shut her eyes. The thought, the memory, of the things that might haunt that room causing tears to well up. She said, "I already know. But I guess I have to."

She walked over to the door and put the key in the slot. Ulrich put his hand over hers and helped her turn the key. Yumi hesitated for a moment and then turned the door knob. She took a deep breath, and held it. Then she pushed the door open. Ulrich smelt a horrible, decayed smell. A warm, musky smell. The room was pitch black, and he couldn't see anything. He reached forward, and felt for a light switch. As he did so, he noticed that Yumi had her eyes closed. He flipped on the lights. He wished he had closed his eyes too.

Statues. That's what they looked like. Dozens of statues. Each shaped in ahideous, horrible way. Each depicting a scene of death that no one should ever have to see or experience. And each one too life-like to be a statue. Urlich asked, "Are these… people?"

Yumi exhaled and said in barely a whisper, "They were."

The two stood there looking at those statues. It was then that Ulrich realized just what sort of pain and trama Yumi had been through.


	13. Peace

**Chapter Thirteen**

**Peace**

"Good job everyone."

Jeremy's voice flowed into Yumi's head as Aelita deactivated the tower. She knew that about a mile away, right now, Ulrich was relaxing as the danger past. Odd looked over to Yumi and said, "Well, you still got it Yumi."

She nodded as Jeremy devirtualized them and brought them all out of Lyoko.

* * *

Jeremy, Odd, Yumi, and Aelita walked out of the factory and saw Ulrich coming towards them. He had a long cut on his face, but other than that he was ok. He walked up to them and said, "Well, it looks like you two aren't having any trouble getting back in the game."

Aelita smiled and said, "Nope."

It had been two weeks since the liberation of the torture facility. Aelita had come close to bleeding to death, but the doctors had managed to keep her alive long enough to give her the blood she needed. The police completely shut down the operation, and had found a lot names and addresses of frequent customers and sellers to the facility. Aelita even helped the man who had tried to release her in the pyro room get off on a light punishment. Plus, the cops even managed to track down the three guys who originally kidnapped Yumi and Aelita.

As for Yumi and Aelita, they were still getting over the experience. Aelita had spent a few days in the hospital because of her wound. Her experience in the pyro room had caused her to develop a fear of fire that would stay with her for a long time. Aelita was still having nightmares about that place, especially the pyro room, but she was healing.

Yumi had received the worst wounds. With the forced loss of her virginity she felt completely violated and stained. The only thing that had kept her from breaking down in the torture building was the need to stay focused in order to survive and try to be strong for Aelita. She felt she had failed miserably on the latter. After she had walked out of the building with Ulrich, she cried for nearly two hours. She was starting to act like her old self again, but she had now developed the habit of recoiling away if anyone touched her. She, like Aelita, was experiencing nightmares of her incarceration in that horrible place, but hers were always about rape and sex. Max had really screwed her mind up, but she wasn't going to let him destroy her life.

Yumi felt an arm slide over her shoulders. She instinctively jerked away from the touch. Ulrich stood there and said, "Sorry, I forgot."

Yumi just looked at the ground and started walking again.

"It's ok."

The two walked at the rear of the group. Up ahead of them Jeremy was walking next to Aelita, holding her hand. He had developed the habit from her stay in the hospital, as it had helped to calm her down during her nightmares. Slowly the habit had drifted into their everyday life. Odd seemed to have gotten even happier and goofier. He told Ulrich that he was trying to be just as happy and funny as possible to help cheer the girls up. They didn't seem to mind. And Ulrich had been trying his hardest to say something to comfort Yumi, but he knew that he could never really understand what had happened to her, what she had lost. But he could try to help her at least.

"Ulrich?"

He looked up, startled out his thoughts. "Yes?"

"Do you believe in God?"

Ulrich looked at her, slightly confused. He hadn't been expecting this sort of question.

"I guess, why?"

She smiled at him and said, "Oh, just curious I guess."

Ulrich just stared at her for a minute, confused. Yumi looked up ahead and saw Aelita looking back over her shoulders, smiling. Yumi still wasn't sure if Aelita's visitor had been real, but she had been right. Their friends had come though for them. All they had to do was have faith. Yumi smiled, mostly to herself. No matter what happened, she knew she could rely on her friends.

_Note: Well, there you go. Hope you liked it, please R & R. Well, that's all for now. Good night and pleasant dreams. _


End file.
